AN POST IS set to increase the price of stamps this February, which it says will “safeguard” its national delivery service while other postal agencies across Europe are scaling back their operations. 

The price of a national stamp will rise by 20 cent from €1.65 to €1.85 and a new €3.50 stamp for letters to anywhere in Europe, including Britain, is being introduced, which amounts to an increase of 85 cent.

The change to the prices will take effect on 3 February. 

An Post said the increase fits into global trends across postal services and is still below the European Union and UK benchmark price of €2.04 for domestic next day letter delivery.

“Rates for large envelopes, packets, over-the-counter parcels and Registered Post will also rise, as will rates for the innovative national and international Digital stamps,” An Post said in a statement.

An Post has also said a new “Rest of World” stamp is needed to stem “significant losses on this category of outgoing mail due to a 38% fall in international letters over the last three years”.

The postal service said that more than 50 % of outgoing international mail goes to Britain, Germany and France, “which is why An Post has introduced this new Europe and Britain €3.50 rate, rather than apply the higher Rest of World rate to this category”. 

An Post also said the price increase “ensures An Post’s commitment to sustainability”. 

“In late 2025, An Post achieved, ahead of target, 50% reduction in carbon emissions, a key milestone in its commitment to achieving net zero across the business by 2030,” it said.

 “An Post remains entirely self-financed,” said Garrett Bridgeman, managing director of An Post Mails & Parcels.

“Our quality of service is amongst the highest in Europe and we continue to innovate in the provision of vital services for the Irish economy and local communities.

“Increasingly, European countries have reduced letter delivery frequency to once or twice a week and now deliver to mail boxes outside the home or to central collection points,” he said.

“While An Post continues to design future generation mail services to suit customers’ needs, the company is committed to retaining the option of a next-day national service to the door, by trusted, trained postal staff in a growing fleet of emission free vehicles.”